Sanders teaching hoops, life at clinic

Wednesday

Jul 12, 2017 at 10:06 PMJul 13, 2017 at 12:09 AM

By Sean LynchFor The Times Herald Record

LIBERTY — At a time when violence and wrongdoing are widespread, it’s reassuring to know of those people who make it their life mission to foster peace and harmony, in this case through the game of basketball.

Sam Sanders will host his second annual Rising Stars Basketball Clinic at the United Methodist Church of Liberty Gymnasium from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. It is open to kids of all ages to learn the fundamentals of basketball and critical tips on how to achieve your dreams. The fee for the clinic is $7, with signups at the door.

Sanders speaks from experience. He was a former standout basketball player at Liberty High School, twice winning the Ivan Richards most valuable player award given to Liberty’s top player. Sanders went on to play for Division II Mansfield College and averaged 43 points a game in a semi-pro league soon after his college career ended.

Soon after, Sanders was faced with a critical decision to play for a professional team in Australia (coached by former Australian player Reggie Biddings), but opted to stay in New York to work in the recreation department at a local corrections facility and continue to be a father to his daughter Shania.

“The reality of the NBA is certainly in reach for everyone, but in order to achieve your goals, you have to work hard, keep a focused mindset, and make good decisions,” Sanders said. “I want to teach as many kids as possible that if you work hard, you can achieve anything you want.’’

The clinic is also aimed at focusing on uniting communities. “One similarity between different races and cultures is that we’re all people,’’ Sanders said. “We all deserve to be treated fairly, and that includes law enforcement.”

Officers from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department and the Fallsburg Police Department will be on hand to teach the youth the importance of community involvement while having fun on the basketball court.

The clinic also will have Rising Stars T-Shirts that were donated by Detective Cyrus Barnes of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department. Deejay Lisa Love, who runs a deejay school in Monticello, will provide the music, and there will be free beverages. For those unable to attend, the event will be streamed live on Facebook at www.facebook.com/recboy.shad. For more information on the clinic, check the facebook page at https://m.facebook.com/events/